There's a new program to help businesses impacted by Richmond's water outage. The city announced yesterday it has established a Small Business Recovery Grant Fund. It'll provide grants to small businesses significantly impacted by January's water emergency. Funding is coming from the Economic Development Authority, Dominion Energy and Altria. Applications for grants will open March 17th.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality says much of the state is now drought-free. The agency has been closely watching soil moisture and stream flow in the state since late last year. Drought advisories have been lifted in 28 localities thanks to above-average precipitation and full or overflowing reservoirs. Drought watch advisories are still in effect in about a dozen counties, mostly in northern Virginia and the Eastern Shore